Industry News

City of Powell River seeks public input on Recreation Complex upgrades

Powell River, BC (January 9, 2020) – An extensive public engagement process begins on Friday, January 10 to decide on a plan for the City of Powell River Recreation Complex Rehabilitation.

Parks, recreation and culture director Ray Boogaards said the city is creating the plan to prioritize facility upgrades to respond to the community’s recreational and social needs for the next 20 years. For the plan to be complete, public input is key.

“The question is how do we plan for the present and future without consulting with the public and user groups to find out what they want in their community recreation centre,” said Boogaards.

Powell River, qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation residents will have plenty of opportunity to engage with the City on the Rehabilitation Plan.

A survey on the participatePR.ca online public engagement platform is open to engage with the community.

In addition to the survey, information events are planned for the public and user groups with the architectural firm contracted for the project, Architecture 49, headquartered in Vancouver. The consultants will be in Powell River on Wednesday, January 22 and Thursday, January 23 for public engagement sessions at the recreation complex beginning at 6:30 pm in the Arbutus Room at the complex.

“We need to come up with a plan of action that is supported by the community through this public process,” said Boogaards. “We know there are improvements that have to be made, but what does the public want? Do they want to see a water slide? Do they want to see changes to the aquatic centre, the rink or the arena? Do they think our fitness room is big enough? Do we need to look at accessibility, which we know is one of the biggest issues? Are there ideas for making improvements to the theatre and meeting rooms? What are we missing? Where can we make changes to improve the complex?”

Boogaards added, there are improvements that must be made, including the complex’s mechanical and electrical components, the chlorine system for the swimming pool, seismic factors and a follow-up to the review of the refrigeration plant.

City staff will use the Architectural Rehabilitation Plan to make recommendations on facility improvements based, in part, on the survey and input at public events. Once complete, the plan, with recommendations, will be brought before City Council so that they can make informed decisions.

In support of Island Health and front-line healthcare staff, working tirelessly to keep our communities safe from COVID-19, the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) has put a call out to their membership for donations of new, unopened N95 masks, sanitizer solution and wipes, or other personal protection equipment suitable for their work.

In the wake of recent announcements from federal and provincial health officials surrounding COVID-19, we would like to provide you with an update on the actions we, the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) is taking in response to the direction set out by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO).

Safety is always a priority in construction and managing the risk of COVID-19 should be no exception. We strongly encourage employers to provide common-sense advice about the simple actions employees are expected to take to reduce the risk.

An update on Gaoshi Holdings’ (Canada) proposed Powell River Airport development was presented at the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, February 18. The committee approved sending to Council a Development Permit (DP) to facilitate construction of the first phase of a mixed-use aviation park.

VICA, along with members Hazelwood Construction Group, Scotiabank, Canwest Mechanical, and Pinchin, will be attending ABM Indigenous: Vancouver Island again this year. The event is held in partnership with the Songhees Nation and the Esquimalt Nation at the Songhees Innovation Centre in Victoria from March 16 to 18.

Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is requesting information from interested parties for construction and environmental remediation services necessary to re-establish fish passage in the Fraser River in response to the Big Bar Landslide.

As part of its ongoing efforts to address bullying, hazing, and harassment on B.C. construction worksites, the BCCA is marking National Construction Day with the beta launch of a new Builders Code Crew Training App.

In an effort to encourage and boost innovation within the industry, Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and Canadian Construction Innovations (CCI) are delighted to announce an exclusive partnership with Invennt Business Inc. to offer the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) credit writing services to the industry.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is moving forward with detailed engineering on solutions to improve safety and capacity for visitors at Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park, while protecting the environmental, social and cultural values associated with the park.

A mortgage investment corporation (MIC) launched by the BCCA aims to make securing a mortgage easier for B.C.’s skilled tradespeople, medical care providers, educators, and emergency responders, while at the same time provide the growing impact investment market with a tax-free vehicle that supports housing affordability.

This is not a tender call or an invitation to bid. The City of Nanaimo (the City) plans to commence procurement for construction of a new fire station located at the intersection of Fitzwilliam Street and Milton Street in Nanaimo.

The BC Building, Plumbing and Fire Codes (BC Codes) are based substantially on the model Codes Canada Publications. Changes to the Codes Canada Publications are typically adopted into the BC Codes. The Public Review is set to close at 4:00 p.m. EST on December 23, 2019.

Resources

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

The construction industry is a dynamic and exciting realm that faces both unique challenges and extraordinary opportunities. By joining VICA, you not only build your business, but you also build up the industry you're proud to be a part of.